National Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Epidemiology

AwardsAwards Presented by the Coalition for Excellence in MCH Epidemiology 2018 CityMatCH Leadership and MCH Epidemiology Conference Maternal and Child

HealthThe systematic collection, Epidemiology analysis and interpretation ofis... population- based and program-speci c health and related data in order to assess the distribution and determinants of the health status and needs of the maternal child population for the purpose of planning, implementing, and assessing e ective, science-based strategies and promoting policy development.

PurposeTo recognize individuals, of teams, the institutions Awards and leaders of institutions for making signi cant contributions to one or more aspects of this de nition with the aim of improving the health of women, children and families by: • Advancing public health knowledge through epidemiology and applied research, • Improving public health practice through e ective use of data and epidemiology and training in the eld, and • Enhancing the political will to support practice and advance knowledge through e ective use of data, epidemiology and applied research. The Coalition for Excellence in MH Epidemiology The National Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Epidemiology Awards • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of recognize individuals, teams, institutions, and leaders for making Reproductive Health signi cant contributions to improve the health of women, children, • CityMatCH and families by: • Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) • Advancing public health knowledge through MCH epidemiology and applied research; • Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau • Improving public health practice through the e ective use of MCH data and epidemiology; • Maternal and Child Health Journal • Strengthening MCH public health practice through excellence in • National Association of County and City Health O cials (NACCHO) teaching and training in the use of data, epidemiologic methods • National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information and applied research; and Systems (NAPHSIS) • Providing leadership to enhance the political will to advance • National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN) public health knowledge and practice and the e ective use of • National March of Dimes Foundation MCH data, epidemiology, and applied research. • National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National No one organization represents MCH Epidemiology as a profession Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) from both an academic and practice perspective. MCH Epidemiology, • Society for Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiologic Research (SPER) however, is a major contributor and participant in many health organizations and professional groups. To better recognize the For 2018, the Coalition recognizes six individuals or organizations eld as a whole and to promote excellence in MCH Epidemiology, for their excellent contribution to Maternal and Child Health in ve 16 national health organizations have formed the Coalition for categories: Lifetime Achievement, E ective Practice, Early Career Excellence in MCH Epidemiology to sponsor the National MCH Professional Achievement, and Advancing Knowledge. Epidemiology Awards. • American Academy of (AAP), Epidemiology Section • American Public Health Association (APHA), Maternal and Child Health Section • Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) • Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), Maternal and Child Health Council • Association of Teachers of Maternal and Child Health (ATMCH) Event Emcee

Charlan Kroelinger, PhD Dr. Charlan Kroelinger emcees today’s event on behalf of the Coalition for Excellence in MCH Epidemiology. Dr. Kroelinger is the lead for the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Epidemiology Program housed in the Division of Reproductive Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The goal of the program is to provide direct assistance to states, territories, localities, and tribes on issues related to pregnancy, , and women’s health. This direct assistance is provided by senior MCH epidemiologists placed in agencies, health departments, and epidemiology centers to build capacity and increase infrastructure in the development of MCH programs and policies. Before taking leadership of the program, Dr. Kroelinger was the senior scientist for the program ensuring production of high quality science, and prior to that, was assigned in the eld to the Delaware Division of Public Health as the State Maternal and Child Health Epidemiologist. In Delaware, she worked as a Director of Science with the state health department to implement the Governor’s Infant Mortality Initiative to decrease the rate of infant deaths in the state. She has spent her career working with mothers and , and is dedicated to improving the health of women, children, and families. Dr. Kroelinger received her doctorate in epidemiology and biostatistics from the University of South Florida, and her Master’s Degree in applied medical anthropology from The University of Alabama. Questions about nominations should be sent to:

Dr. Charlan D. Kroelinger Chair, National MCH Epi Awards Committee MCH EPI Team Lead Division of Reproductive Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 4770 Buford Hwy. NE. MS F-74 Atlanta, GA 30341-3717 Phone: 770-488-6545 | Fax: 770-488-6291 [email protected] Zena Stein and Mervyn Susser Award for Lifetime Achievement

The purpose of this award is to recognize an internationally or of childhood morbidities, and, more importantly, that the risk factors nationally known expert or team of experts who have contributed for this morbidity are similar to those for term children emphasizing the broadly and substantially to the advancement of the eld of importance of socio-economic status and parental health. More recently, she has critiqued the reliance on standardized and restricted measures of MCH epidemiology throughout their career, and whose work has neurodevelopment as the major indicators of outcomes and emphasized signi cant and lasting impact. This award is considered to be a the importance of functional outcomes, to predict what children can capstone award; hence its recipient(s) should be at or near the achieve regardless of IQ scores. end of their career. The proposed lifetime achievement in MCH Dr. McCormick believes that describing the outcomes and risk factors epidemiology award will be given only when deemed appropriate, is insu cient unless accompanied by the identi cation of evidence- and is not expected to be awarded annually. No more than one based interventions critical to improving outcomes. Thus, in addition to lifetime achievement award will be given in any calendar year. her scienti c work, Dr. McCormick has served as the Research Steering Committee Chair for the Infant Health and Development Program, evaluating the e ectiveness of early education for low birth weight and premature infants as the principal investigator of the 18-year follow-up. Based on her expertise, Dr. McCormick has been asked to serve on several 2018 Recipient committees and has had a direct and lasting impact on children’s health. Marie Clare McCormick, MD, ScD Most notably, she has been active in a number of Institute of Medicine/ National Academy of Medicine panels. Her work on vaccine safety also has Dr. Marie McCormick has actively led to her being on the National Vaccine Advisory Committee where she promoted and substantially improved chaired the Working Group overseeing the safety of the epidemic H1N1 maternal and child health through in uenza vaccine in 2009. She has played signi cant leadership roles in her research, policy development and academic societies, especially the Academic Pediatric Association for which training of young Maternal and Child she was the Chair of the Communications and Research Committees and Health epidemiologists. After nearly Senior Associate Editor of the association’s journal. In that capacity, she 40 years as a scientist and a scholar, developed an annual report on the health care use and expenditures of she will retire as the rst Sumner and American children, both overall and for various conditions, in collaboration Esther Feldberg Professor of Maternal with Lisa Simpson and the Agency for HealthCare Research and Quality. and Child Health in September 2018. For this work, Dr. McCormick has received numerous awards, including the Her research has two main foci: David Rall Medal for exemplary service to the Institute of Medicine, and two elucidating the outcomes of high- life-time research achievement awards. Perhaps one of her most telling risk, especially premature infants and the evaluation of programs designed awards, however, is the A. Cli ord Barger Excellence in Mentoring Award to reduce infant mortality and improve the outcomes of vulnerable infants. from the . This award captures her impressive An early summary of the existing literature in the New England Journal of legacy in MCH Epidemiology through her teaching and mentoring of young Medicine signaled what work she was to accomplish. She was among the investigators and public health professionals, all of whom have gone on rst to report on the increased risk of rehospitalization after discharge from to notable careers themselves. Dr. McCormick supports her mentees with the NICU, the lower risk of injuries and the impact on the family of having a evidence-based recommendations, drawing from her rich experience premature infant, including costs. She was among the rst to indicate the publishing papers and fostering collaborations, advocating for the higher risk of behavioral problems in these children, and the joint e ect of recognition her mentees deserve and as a model of self-advocacy. prematurity and behavior on lower school achievement. She has also made methodological contributions, such as demonstrating the equivalency Dr. Marie McCormick exempli es the broad, substantial, career-long of telephone and face-to-face interviews and maternal recall of events advancement of the eld of MCH and signi cant and lasting impact in the infant’s rst year. She brought attention to the fact that Very Low celebrated by the Zena Stein and Mervyn Susser Award for Lifetime Birth Weight/prematurity is not a syndrome but a risk factor for a variety Achievement. Effective Practice Award at the Community Level

This awards category recognizes individuals, organizational community in producing a comprehensive report detailing MCH outcomes leaders, organizational units and institutions who make signi cant where the community decides what is most relevant to promoting their wellness and resilience. contributions to public health practice in MCH at the community, state, tribal or national levels through the e ective use of data Dr. Duldulao is an innovative leader in improving public health practice and epidemiology. The award can be given to the organization through e ective use of data, epidemiology, and applied research, where or individuals primarily responsible for the contribution. For her expertise in quantitative and qualitative methods has been sought by policymakers, researchers, the community and public health professionals. organizations, the actual plaque will go to the individual(s) or She is instrumental in high pro le, upstream public health projects, leader(s) personally or most closely responsible for the work leading such as using the life course model to explore the link between housing to the contribution. In any one year, these awards are given for displacement and adverse birth outcomes. Not only is she assessing the the speci c level of contribution–community, state, tribal and data to identify root causes of homelessness, but she is developing a compelling framework to address the issue in a multi-faceted, humane national. The criteria for this award include: 1) signi cance of work, way. 2) contribution to public health practice, and 3) level of impact on the intended population. This award is not necessarily based on Dr. Duldulao’s deep knowledge of applied and trauma-informed data work has deeply in uenced both the practice and programming in MCH activities publications, but is based on contributions that impact on the MCH in Multnomah County. Her skills in translating data to practice has informed population. shifts in MCH practice as well as the addition of new work that speci cally focuses on racial and ethnic health inequities. This is most notable in the work she has completed to support the rst ever Multnomah County Health Department Maternal Child Health Data Book, the Future Generations 2018 Recipient Collaborative, as well as the work she has accomplished to support the Aileen Alfonso Duldulao, PhD, MSW development of a Latino Health Strategy across the Department. Dr. Duldulao recognizes that communities are impacted by the data analyses Dr. Aileen Alfonso Duldulao is produced, and to that end, she consistently brings a focus on equity, social the Maternal & Child Health justice, life course and trauma-informed approaches, and research on Epidemiologist at the Multnomah community wisdom. County Health Department in Oregon. Dr. Duldulao is widely Dr. Duldulao de nes her work as a unique combination of academic recognized as an expert on advanced training, clinical and community direct service infused with the principles quantitative statistical analysis, data of social justice and equity. She continues to work on the front lines of social modeling, and survey and sampling service in the areas of poverty law, domestic violence, sexual assault, and methodologies within decolonizing, mental health. She see her work as holistic and heart-centered, particularly community-based participatory her research in health disparities, social determinants of health, and frameworks. Dr. Duldulao is developmental origins of health and disease. Altogether, her contributions spearheading the advancement to Multnomah County and the eld of MCH, highlight how deserving she is of a humanistic, person-centered of the E ective Practice Award at the Community level. approach to the essential public health function of epidemiology. She has played a critical role in building trust among community members in the Future Generations Collaborative (FGC), which uses a trauma-informed collaborative model to address MCH inequities among Multnomah County’s American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) population. Dr. Duldulao’s commitment to decolonizing theoretical frameworks and community- based participatory methods is making it possible to host the AI/AN Effective Practice Award at the State/Territory Level

This award category recognizes individuals, organizational leaders, organizational units and institutions who make signi cant contributions to public health practice in MCH at the community, state, tribal or national levels through the e ective use of data and epidemiology. The award can be given to the organization women, and use of preventive measures during pregnancy in Puerto or individuals primarily responsible for the contribution. For Rico during the 2016 Zika outbreak. This success led to project expansion including a postpartum telephone follow-up survey, and a repeat of both organizations, the actual plaque will go to the individual(s) or the hospital study and telephone follow-up in 2017. Plans were interrupted leader(s) personally or most closely responsible for the work leading when Hurricane Maria devastated the island. PRDH sta and leadership to the contribution. In any one year, these awards are given for insisted that they move forward despite the major disruption at all levels of the speci c level of contribution--community, state, tribal and infrastructure across the island. national. The criteria for this award include: 1) signi cance of work, Importantly, this became the rst test of this surveillance methodology 2) contribution to public health practice, and 3) level of impact on in an emergency response setting for both an infectious disease outbreak the intended population. This award is not necessarily based on and a major natural disaster. As noted by CDC, the PRDH “demonstrated publications, but is based on contributions that impact the MCH unwavering dedication to public health in the context of the Zika virus epidemic. Widespread devastation and lack of basic necessities in population. the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria did not stop them from pursuing their work, nor did they allow the challenging circumstances to compromise the quality of their work. These are the qualities of true public health heroes.” 2018 Recipient The Puerto Rico Department of Health's Division of This was more than a surveillance project. An educational curriculum on Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (PRDH) postpartum care, newborn care, and Zika prevention was provided to over 2,500 new parents in the post-hurricane context. This activity was The Puerto Rico Department of Health’s Division of Maternal, Child, and so successful that the presentation and materials have been adopted Adolescent Health (PRDH) is receiving the E ective Practice award at the by the PRDH Visiting Nurses Program, and will continue to be o ered to state level due to their extraordinary accomplishments in conducting new parents throughout Puerto Rico. Additionally the project distributed the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System Zika Postpartum crib nets, calendars and brochures with information about infant Emergency Response (PRAMS-ZPER) project. This project, initially designed developmental milestones, mosquito repellent, and condoms to survey as a one-time PRAMS hospital-based survey in the context of the Zika respondents numbering over 5,000 throughout the course of the project. outbreak in Puerto Rico, expanded to a 4-part study spanning 2 years Importantly, the project ndings are applicable to other mosquito-borne with multiple components, including surveillance to assess response and diseases and natural disasters. Further, the group incorporated surveillance recovery following Hurricane Maria. of the male partners of the recently pregnant women (with a similarly The rst hospital-based study, which included a large island-wide sample impressive 83% response rate), assessment of the impact of Hurricane with oversampling by region, was conducted August-December of 2016. Maria on pregnant women, and an educational element that had direct The study surveyed women during their hospital stay who had just impact on the parents of the newborns in Puerto Rico who welcomed delivered a live infant and assessed knowledge and concerns about Zika their babies in the midst of Hurricane Maria recovery e orts. For this virus, health care provider counseling and testing, and use of measures to outstanding work, the PRDH is truly deserving of the E ective Practice prevent Zika infection during pregnancy in an environment with ongoing Award. transmission. Nearly 2,400 women participated for a remarkable 81% participation rate providing the rst and only source of population-based information about provider practices, including testing of pregnant Early Career Professional Achievement Award

This award recognizes an early career, outstanding professional has 43 papers, either published or in press. These include 14 rst-authored leader in the United States and its territories. The awardee’s MCH papers and 2 book chapters. She has made major contributions to our understanding of child injuries, and her work on maternal health has been epidemiology work demonstrates signi cant contribution(s) to stellar. Dr. Vladutiu’s many works have the capacity to shift clinical care and the MCH epidemiology eld in one or more of the above awards public health practice and thereby improve outcomes. categories, and serves as a model to other early career professionals. To be eligible, the awardee must be professionally active in the eld Examining Dr. Vladutiu ‘s publication output only tells a small part of the story. Her work has been integral to the functioning of two major programs of MCH epidemiology; has worked in the MCH epidemiology eld in the MCH eld: the MCH Home Visiting Program and the Healthy Start for no more than 10 years; has exhibited signi cant contribution program. Regarding the MCH Home Visiting Program, Dr. Vladutiu led to the eld at the time of the MCH EPI Conference; and may be a the identi cation, selection and speci cation of the revised Home Visiting professional in academia, government, and/or the private sector. performance measures. This work required extensive communication with MCHB leadership, stakeholders external to Government, and partners Career accomplishment, evidence of a strong, positive trajectory of throughout HHS, as well as the incorporation of this varied input into a career development, and promise of leadership strength are core standardized set of evidence-based measures. Dr. Vladutiu provided critical criteria that are used for selection of the awardee. This award equally technical assistance to grantees around the implementation of these recognizes all three types of contributions (as described above) and measures – a task which she embraced and handled expertly. uses the respective awards criteria in the selection process. After her work with the MCH Home Visiting Program, Dr. Vladutiu began strengthening the infrastructure needed for a stronger evidence base for the Healthy Start program. She provided extensive data management and analytic support onthe current Healthy Start Evaluation as well as 2018 Recipient consultation and critical, timely feedback on materials for the infant Catherine Vladutiu, PhD, MPH mortality Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Networks (CoIIN). This work has also included reviewing and analyzing client-level data, Dr. Catherine Vladutiu has made modifying the evaluation and analysis plan, and providing consultation on tremendous contributions during inquiries regarding data elements, record linkage, and outcome measures. her time in the eld of maternal and child health epidemiology. She is a dedicated scientist who is meticulous Dr. Vladutiu’s work with the Home Visiting and Healthy Start programs are in providing outstanding products, already having an outsized impact on how we deliver and measure MCH whether it is bolstering the work of services in the US. Her incisive research is in uencing the MCH eld in other important maternal and child health ways. Even at this early stage of her career, Dr. Vladutiu epitomizes the (MCH) programs or conducting de nition of an outstanding and productive MCH epidemiologist. research. Dr. Vladutiu rst worked Finally, in addition to being a talented epidemiologist, Dr. Vladutiu has a at the Maternal and Child Health generous spirit and a true passion for the eld of maternal and child health. Bureau (MCHB) from 2003 to 2006 Her bright energy, clear communication, kindness, and genuine desire to as an analyst. She obtained her build capacity and bridge public health and clinical spaces positions her well doctorate in epidemiology from the University of North Carolina’s Gillings for a long and distinguished career. School of Public Health (2012), and returned to MCHB in 2014 as a Senior Epidemiologist. One of the easiest measures of productivity is number of publications, and in that area, Dr. Vladutiu has a record that can rarely be matched by anyone, let alone someone at an early stage of their career. She already Early Career Professional Achievement Award

This awards recognizes an early career, outstanding professional SUID and SDY case identi cation. Dr. Parks Brown also led the development, leader in the United States and its territories. The awardee’s MCH implementation and evaluation of a vigorous program to train awardees on the CDC SUID Case Registry classi cation system. epidemiology work demonstrates signi cant contribution(s) to the MCH epidemiology eld in one or more of the above awards In her work on SUID, Dr. Parks Brown has made signi cant contributions categories, and serves as a model to other early career professionals. to public health practice. She successfully led the implementation of a To be eligible, the awardee must be professionally active in the eld robust surveillance evaluation including quarterly data reports for SUID and SDY Case Registries measuring case ascertainment, timeliness, and of MCH epidemiology; has worked in the MCH epidemiology eld data completeness. Subsequently, the methodology for this surveillance for no more than 10 years; has exhibited signi cant contribution evaluation system has been included in the federal funding requirements to the eld at the time of the MCH EPI Conference; and may be a for the larger National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention’s (CFRP) professional in academia, government, and/or the private sector. National Fetal and Infant Mortality Programs. The CFRP has since replicated Dr. Parks Brown’s data quality plan for technical assistance and analysis Career accomplishment, evidence of a strong, positive trajectory of methods for all 45 states with funding from the Health Resources and career development, and promise of leadership strength are core Services Administration. The data quality plan allows states to monitor criteria that are used for selection of the awardee. This award equally and improve data quality among 1,200+ state and local Child Death recognizes all three types of contributions (as described above) and Review programs leading to the dissemination of accurate data to increase uses the respective awards criteria in the selection process. understanding of child death and prevention programs. The impacts of Dr. Parks’ work include improved use of high-quality child death data in states and jurisdictions. Better quality data allows states to identify higher risk populations, monitor trends and implement data 2018 Recipient driven prevention e orts. Prior to the work of Dr. Parks Brown, the poorer Sharyn Parks Brown, PhD, MPH quality data impacted the National Fatality Review Case Reporting System, seriously limiting data utilization for analysis on infant and child deaths. Dr. Sharyn Parks Brown, a senior These limitations are described in papers published in the American Journal epidemiologist in the CDC National of Public Health and in Injury Prevention. As a result of Dr. Parks Brown’s Center for Chronic Disease Prevention technical assistance and data quality improvement methodologies, it is and Health Promotion’s Division now possible to publish more reliable analyses on infant and child deaths. of Reproductive Health, leads Dr. Parks Brown is continually pushing for improved accuracy and increased the Sudden Unexpected Infant breadth of death investigation information so that these deaths are fully Death (SUID) and Sudden Death understood, accurately tracked for trend and risk factor monitoring, and in the Young (SDY) Case Registry. states can promote development of data driven prevention e orts. For She is responsible for scienti c these reasons, Dr. Parks Brown is more than deserving of the Early Career oversight of the SUID and SDY Case Professional Achievement Award. Registry including guidance on a wide range of related, yet diverse, epidemiological and surveillance topics using Registry data. Since joining CDC, Dr. Parks Brown has provided agency and national-level leadership on SUID case identi cation, compilation of case level data, assurance of data timeliness and quality, analysis of data, interpretation and dissemination of results, and evaluation of associated programs. Dr. Parks Brown’s leadership has increased the surveillance capacity and data quality of 16 states and 2 jurisdictions for Greg Alexander Award for Advancing Knowledge

Advancing public health knowledge through epidemiology and applied research 2018 Recipient Eugene Declercq, PhD The purpose of this national/international award is to recognize Eugene Declercq, PhD, is an individuals and organizational teams from a variety of disciplines internationally renowned maternal who have made a substantial contribution to advancing the and child health researcher who knowledge base aimed at improving the health of women, has contributed groundbreaking children and families. Because this is an MCH Epidemiology studies to the eld for well over thirty award, preference is given to those whose focus is applied or years. Dr. Declercq is perhaps best known for his research on childbirth those whose focus has contributed to the advancement of – particularly midwifery care and applied work in one or more of the following ways: engagement method of delivery. Responding in creating new data systems, development of new methods for to a rapidly rising US cesarean rate measurement or analysis, generation of new information (based which began in the mid-1990’s, Dr. Declercq’s research was able to show on data from a variety of sources whether it be surveillance that the overall increase was in part systems, evaluation data or primary data collection methods), or a function of increases among mothers at little medical risk. He developed development of new conceptual frameworks. It is expected that an innovative new measure of “no indicated risk” cesarean delivery and was the new knowledge contributed by the awardee has led the MCH able to demonstrate that the outcomes of these low-risk cesareans were eld to consider new approaches and or discover new ndings problematic, including contributing to a concurrent rise in prematurity in the US. related to an MCH problem. Evidence of whether an individual has advanced knowledge is best assessed through publications in the Dr. Declercq is also widely recognized for his many contributions to the peer-reviewed literature but can also include technical reports, development of novel maternal and child health data sources. With colleagues at University, the Centers for Disease Control and Institute of Medicine type syntheses, books, book chapters and/or Prevention and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH), creation of surveillance systems and learning tools that are widely he developed the Pregnancy to Early Life Longitudinal Data System (PELL). disseminated. The criteria for this award include: 1) originality of At its core, PELL longitudinally linked Massachusetts birth and maternal scienti c work, 2) contribution to the eld, and 3) impact on the and infant hospital discharge records, but went on to include data related MCH population. to health services like Early Intervention and WIC, cancer, birth defects, substance use treatment and assisted reproductive technology. PELL has provided a research platform for numerous innovative studies of maternal and child health from researchers around the country. In collaboration with colleagues from Michigan State and Dartmouth Universities, as well as MDPH and CDC, Dr. Declercq co-founded the Massachusetts Outcomes Study of Assisted Reproductive Technology (MOSART). MOSART resulted from a linkage between PELL and clinical data from the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology. Prior research into outcomes of assisted reproductive Technologies (ART) faced several major constraints: randomization to ART treatment was not feasible; studies from individual ART clinics often lacked statistical power; population based, vital records data sets often lacked accurate measurement of ART treatment; and, most importantly, studies of outcomes of ART had not been able to distinguish the e ect of ART from that of underlying infertility. Dr. Declercq also co-founded The Listening to Mothers Survey series. Listening to Mothers was able to ll a major gap in knowledge, examining mother’s experiences, feelings and opinions about their experiences during the perinatal and post-partum period. Dr. Declercq and colleagues administered national Listening to Mothers surveys in 2002, 2006 and 2011-12. A follow-up survey was also administered after each of the last two survey rounds. Dr. Declercq’s recent work on maternal mortality has been highly in uential in bringing attention to this previously neglected problem in the United States. Concerned that the U.S. had not published an o cial maternal mortality rate since 2007, Dr. Declercq and collaborators set out to estimate a national rate using individual state data. Facing the challenge of disparate mortality data collection methods across states, only about half of which used the pregnancy “checkbox,” Declercq et al modeled the impact of the addition of the checkbox and estimated a national rate while identifying problems in the surveillance system, then delved further into the data to look at disparities and the circumstances that might explain an unusually high rates in some areas. In addition to his own work, Dr. Declercq has mentored a generation of maternal and child health professionals, particularly those who seek to improve the quality of maternity care, and identify and reduce sources of adverse outcomes in childbirth. He has directed the Doctor of Public Health program at Boston University since 2003, and advised countless future MCH researchers and practitioners who continue the critical work of promoting optimal maternal and child health. When Dr. Declercq is not innovating in the area of maternal and child health research, he enjoys spending time with his family (including eight grandchildren), playing fetch with his dog, Lightning, and going for epic bike rides around his native northeastern Massachusetts. His colleagues are delighted to see Dr. Declerq honored for his remarkable contributions to the health of families and babies. Past ecipients

Greg Alexander Award for Advancing Knowledge 2010 Kenneth D. Rosenberg, Oregon Public Health 2016 Carol J. Rowland Hogue, Emory University CDC Maternal Health Team for 2009 Pandemic H1N1 2014 KS Joseph, University of British Columbia, Vancouver In uenza Response 2012 Laura Schieve, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2009 Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Unit, Section of 2012 Matthew Gillman, Harvard University Women’s, Children’s, and Family Health, Division of Public Health, Alaska Department of Health and Social Services 2011 Paul W. Newacheck, University of California, San Francisco Priscilla A. Guild, Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health 2010 Gopal K. Singh, HRSA/MCHB Services Research 2009 Allen James Wilcox, NIEHS 2008 Institute for Health, Policy & Evaluation Research, 2008 Pat O’Campo, University of Toronto Duval County Health Department 2007 Michael Kramer, McGill University CityMatCH, University of Nebraska Medical Center 2006 James Collins, Childrens’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago 2007 Kimberlee Wyche-Etheridge, Nashville-Davidson County Health Department 2005 Mark Klebano , National Institute of Child Health and Development Wanda Bar eld, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2004 David Savitz, University of North Carolina Carrie Shapiro-Mendoza, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2003 Michael Kogan, Health Resources and Services Administration 2006 Douglas Paterson, Michigan Department of Community 2002 Nigel Paneth, Michigan State University Health 2001 Greg Alexander, University of Alabama at Birmingham Stephanie Ventura, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2000 Milton Kotelchuck, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 2005 Los Angeles County STD Program Richard Lorenz, Okalahoma State Department of Health E ective Practice Stella Yu, Health Resources and Services Administration 2016 Audrey M. Stevenson, Salt Lake County Health Department Massachusettes Oral Health Steering Committee 2004 Carol Brady, Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition 2014 Marian MacDorman, National Center for Health Statistics Paul Buescher , North Carolina Division of Public Health Bruce Cohen, Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Laura Kann, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Department of Public Health 2003 Countryside Lead Prevalence Study Team The Massachusetts Pregnancy to Early Live Longitudinal (PELL) Garland Land , Missouri Department of Health and Data System Team Senior Services 2012 Donald Hayes, Family Health Services Division, State of Hawaii Larry Edmonds, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2011 Center for Women’s Health, Trover Health Systems 2002 Carolyn Slack, Columbus Health Department C. Meade Grigg, Florida’s O ce of Health Statistics and Gilberto Chavez , California Department of Health Services Assessment, State Registrar of Vital Statistics Carol Hogue, Emory University Isabelle L. Horon, Maryland Department of Health and New Mexico and Navajo PRAMS Collaborative Mental Hygiene 2001 Kathy Carson, Public Health Seattle-King County Young Professional Achievement Bao-Ping Zhu, Michigan Department of Community Health 2016 Ashley H. Hirai, Maternal and Child Health Bureau and National Center for Health Statistics Hani Atrash, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Michael Grady Smith, South Carolina Bureau of MCH 2000 Pinellas County Healthy Start 2014 Susanna Visser, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Aaron Roome, Connecticut Department of Public Health 2012 Lisa M. Bodnar, University of Pittsburgh Arden Handler, University of Illinois in Chicago 2011 Reem M. Ghandour, O ce of Epidemiology, Policy, and Evaluation at HRSA Outstanding Leadership 2010 Amina P. Alio, University of South Florida 2016 Margaret A. Honein, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities 2009 Brian Christopher Castrucci, Georgia Division of Public Health 2014 Deborah Allen, Boston Public Health Commission 2008 Stephen Blumberg, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2012 Christina D. Bethell, Oregon Health and Sciences University 2007 Charlan Kroelinger, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2009 Donna J. Peterson, College of Public Health, University of South 2006 Jihong Liu, University of South Carolina Florida 2005 Stephanie Schrag, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2008 William Hollinshead III, Rhode Island Department 2004 Kay Tomashek, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of Health 2003 Michael Lu, University of California in Los Angeles 2007 Je rey Gould, Stanford University 2002 Joann Petrini, National March of Dimes Foundation 2006 Jose Cordero, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2001 Cande Ananth, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School 2005 Magda Peck, University of Nebraska Medical Center 2000 Wendy Struchen, Pinellas County Healthy Start 2003 William Sappen eld, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2002 Deborah Klein Walker, Massachusetts Department of Zena Stein and Mervyn Susser Award Public Health for Lifetime Achievement 2016 Roger Rochat, Emory University 2001 Peter van Dyck, Health Resources and Services Administration 2014 Walter Rogan, National Institute of Environmental 2000 Claude Earl Fox, Health Resources and Services Administration Health Sciences 2009 Bernard Guyer, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring Award Johns Hopkins University 2016 Kristin M. Rankin, University of Illinois at Chicago 2007 Irvin Emanuel, University of Washington 2012 Michelle Williams, School of Public Health, Harvard University 2006 David Erickson, Centers for Disease Control 2009 Donna M. Strobino, Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2005 Mervyn Susser and Zena Stein, Columbia University Johns Hopkins University 2007 Russell Kirby, University of Alabama at Birmingham 2005 Deb Rosenberg, University of Illinois in Chicago

The National MCH Epidemiology Awards are biennial awards. The Coalition for Excellence in MCH Epidemiology will again be accepting nominations in January 2020. The awards will be presented at the 2020 CityMatCH Leadership and MCH Epidemiology Conference.